If you watch the introductory portions of the inauguration ceremony, you must be struck by the continuity of the American democracy, that despite immense differences of opinion and policy, past leaders gather if for no other purpose than to display their support for that democratic process and change of power. You would also be struck by the long history of our nation and how truly great it has been, not just for its citizens but for the entire world of humans. A few brave Europeans came here (and yes they did some mean things to the current inhabitants, as though that displacement never happened or continues to happen everywhere), established a society, initially based on colonies, and eventually a nation through a forceful revolution.
That country has flourished for two primary reasons. One is that it was based on free market economics–the ability of individuals to be the sole arbiters of their economic activity–the work they did, the investments they made–and to benefit from that work and those investments; the belief that allowing such individual freedom would build the strongest, fastest growing economy for all citizens. The second was a belief in democracy–that individuals should select the form of government and the representatives to carry out the policy desires of the electorate. Accompanying these basic elements of a successful economy and government were broad-based freedoms–of religion, thought, speech, action. All of this was underpinned by a belief in the rule of law–laws determined by public consensus and administered neutrally and objectively.
These elements have been under assault in recent decades; an assault spearheaded by intellectual radicals at our universities. These radicals have infiltrated and perverted every institution in our country–education itself, the justice system, medicine, science. They have been aided by foreign adversaries, Russia and China at the forefront. The assault on our founding principles has been successful in undermining our unity and our strength. We are greatly weakened as well by our failure to display spending discipline, leading to a debt crisis. We and our allied democracies around the globe are threatened by totalitarian regimes, some of which are matching or exceeding our military capabilities.
Can the new administration reverse the effects of the assault on our institutions and society? Does that administration truly understand the nature of the assault? Does it have meaningful solutions? Will it eliminate deficits, even begin to reduce the debt that is the primary threat to our economic well-being? Can it minimize bureaucracy and displace embedded defense contractors and move far more quickly to rebuild our military and revitalize critical alliances to keep our adversaries at bay? Are new leaders capable of instituting the drastic measures necessary to completely tear down our university structures, root out the radicals within and redirect those institutions to the sole task of creating citizens who are focused on science, math, business, medicine, law and other professions and who will make our society the most innovative, productive, healthy and just in the world?
I don’t know the answer, but I know this is the set of problems and I know what the solutions must look like. We will shortly learn if the new administration indeed has the intelligence and will to execute on these immensely difficult tasks. If not, expect our country to continue its inevitable decline. Tears fill my eyes as I watch this ceremony, for I, along with most of our fellow citizens, feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have been born in, to live in, to have been raised in this country, and all that has meant for the quality of my life and what I have been able to accomplish. I want nothing more than for this country to continue to provide that opportunity for all its citizens.
I’m going to be “that pedant” that differs with you on our founders’ beliefs “in democracy.” They actually believed that democracy devolves into a tyranny of the majority and mob rule. They also knew that monarchies were awful. They discussed who would govern the governors, and that if men were angels no government would be necessary, but men aren’t angels. After all this they formed a democratic republic – a little more republic than democratic. Two senators per state to ensure small states’ rights vs apportioned senators. A house to be close to the people and to be elected by the people. A president elected by electors and not by a democratic majority. And separation of powers into legislative (first), executive (second), judicial and the several states, with rights specifically reserved to the people and not granted by the government. Each one of these held their own defined separate powers with the people being sovereign, not delegable to the others but subject to checks and balances from the others. This form of government was enacted not to enshrine a democracy and majority rule, but to increase the liberty of the people. Democracies often devolve into mob rule and then into tyrannies. Policies that effect millions get passed by thousands of votes (say a school bond in a special election where only 30% of voters vote and that needs 60% approval therefore only 18% of voters approve a tax on property owners and not on everyone – is that truly democratic? Only if covered by the fig leaf of “democracy.”).
Our Republic should be celebrated and shouted to the world, for it is this Republic, and our free markets, that has enshrined us as the Beacon of Liberty to the rest of the world, regardless of how much some want to throw all that into the dustbin of history.
Amen to that! Thanks, Kevin.
We’re not a democracy, nor have we ever been one, and no this isn’t a matter of semantics. We are a republic despite the 17th Amendment altering the electoral mechanism established in Article I, Section 3, of the Constitution on how Senators are elected or the misinformation that MSM and many others would have us believe. Perhaps an article exploring why so many are afraid of admitting our republican roots or why when we “plant democracy” we install a parliamentary form of government rather than one based on our government.
not sure I understand this focus on a “republic”, we are a democracy–citizens vote for those who are in charge of government and policy, calling the structure a republic may or may not be accurate, but whatever the structure we are a democracy.
Your title threw me and it was a good tease forcing me to read it. I think your headline needs a question mark as we are to see if “Same Old Problems?” happens. I, too, was misty for a moment yesterday after seeing how far we had fallen and now we are coming back. Lately, the executive orders and pardons have made it clear that our founding fathers’ desires have been superseded. We need lawsmakers and yesterday, Trump just did what Biden had done. He’s not better and our system somehow allows it so we are worse for it.
Well said, Mr. Roche.
While I did not and do not support Trump, I think there is a possibility that he could be a transformational leader, especially as it applies to our debt and deficit. This is because he is not an idealogue and may be willing to push back against those who believe are financial problems are caused solely by overspending rather than a mix of underfunding and overspending.
The first step will be to try and solve the problem through only cutting spending. Once that is shown to be a fool’s errand hopefully Trump can negotiate a deal with the Democrats to put us on a sustainable path. We will see what happens.
The left will use lawfare to block solutions. They benefit from the status quo.
I agree with those that point out the USA is not designed to be a democracy. It is a constitutional republic.
I don’t know how much more clearly I can say that you guys are confusing the structure of government, a republic, with how its leaders are selected, which in our case is by popular vote-a democracy. And in fact, if you look at most definitions, a republic is defined the same way as a democracy. And the “constitutional” thing is meaningless–every country, including dictatorships like Russia and Iran, have a constitution. A constitution by itself does nothing.